Three by three
by Oblivian03
Summary: The company is attacked by orcs and splits up in order to try and evade them. Now they have to use all their skill in order to survive Azog's minions and regroup together before any real damage is done. No slash.
1. Attack

**I do not own the Hobbit. **

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**So, this story is based between Radagast meeting the company and the arrival of the orcs. It shouldn't stray from the storyline too much (if at all), but hopefully will contain some good action scenes (as it is the main genre of this story). For those who know me, I have finally decided to attempt to write a story involving orcs and not involving angst. Fingers crossed it will stay that way. The first chapter is short and a little weird, but I promise it will pick up next chapter onwards. Also, don't ask how they didn't notice the orcs. I'll work on that later. Enjoy.**

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**Chapter 1: Attack**

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The afternoon was pretty quiet, at least as quiet as it could be with thirteen unruly dwarves, a wizard and a hobbit. Having just escaped from the captivity of three slow and stupid trolls the previous night, several of the dwarves were still ruffled and in a bad mood, namely Dwalin and Gloin. Thorin was as his usual self, though obviously displeased with the delay. Then again, the exiled king seemed displeased with most things nowadays Balin reflected.

Radagast, the somewhat mad wizard, was talking to Gandalf, a fact which did not bother the old dwarf at all, though it did rouse his curiosity. Thorin, who had appeared to have found a sword in the cave of the trolls, was talking in a low voice to Dwalin, his self-assigned bodyguard. Bilbo too was captivated with his newly secured weapon, taking the rather short blade out of its scabbard to give it a look over. The old dwarf only hoped that the company burglar knew how to use it when the time came.

Most of the company had remained in one area, but Ori and Kili were both standing a little apart from the rest, Kili speaking urgently and Ori shaking his head persistently. Balin could only imagine what the younger dwarf was asking of the scribe of the group. It was to his surprise, however, that Fili was not with his brother, rather the blonde was standing to one side laughing at a comment Bofur had made.

"This quest will be quite the journey without the ponies," Dori muttered darkly, coming up to the old dwarf. Balin sighed.

"Yes," he replied, "I am not looking to having to walk all the way to Erebor. It might be possible to buy some ponies along the way perhaps." This last part was said in a hopeful tone.

"If my brother hasn't gambled all the money away," Dori answered, "Excuse me while I go and see what he is up to now."

Balin chortled to himself as Dori walked over to were Nori had been inspecting an object he was now holding behind his back. The two exchanged some brief words, ending in Dori storming away in a huff. Whenever the pair argued, it was generally the younger dwarf who would win. He had a habit of sliding his was out of things.

"I must be on my way," Radagast said, drawing the dwarves' attention back to him, "But you must be sure to tell of my findings at the Council." The wizard hurried off, seemingly nervous for some unexplained reason. Gandalf watched him go for a moment before coming to a decision.

"We must get of these woods soon," the powerful being said, "For something dark lurks in them. I recommend we head to the plains east of here. From there I can you to a short cut to the Misty Mountains."

"Very well then," Thorin replied, "We might as well get-"

A short cry from where Ori and Kili had been standing cut the company leader off and caused the rest of the company to look over that way, only to have each member grip their weapons and tense their muscles. Several cries of outrage were given as the group found themselves looking upon a scene where Kili laid motionless on the ground, Ori pinned to a tree behind him, held up by his throat by an orc almost twice his size. More orcs were beginning to appear from within the forest, and upon seeing the company staring at them, the beings took up their weapons and charged, some on foot, most on wargs.

Balin watched as Ori was dropped to the ground, both he and Kili in great danger of being crushed in the stampede of their foes. Shouting to his brother, the white bearded dwarf began to fight off the enemies surrounding him.

"Kili!" Fili called from somewhere to Balin's far right, the blonde fighting side by side with his uncle and Oin.

Beside him, Gandalf was beating back several wargs with his staff, Bilbo trying his best to avoid being eaten. Bofur and Bifur were dancing around, their battle techniques not the most graceful, but more than effective.

"Kili!" Fili called again.

"Ori!" Dori bellowed at the same time, finally causing Balin to look towards the two dwarves whose names were being called out with sure worry and fear.

The white bearded dwarf berated himself for forgetting about the pair once he saw the danger they were in. Ori was back up against a tree, hands groping hopelessly for his slingshot or another weapon of which he could use in defence against the orc who was preparing to run him through with a sword. Kili was in an even worse position, still sprawled face down on the ground, his bow out of reach as he began to stir, oblivious to the warg preparing to jump on him from behind.

Balin's view of the scene was suddenly obscured by a being that soon found themselves dead on the ground, head caved in from a well-aimed blow. When he looked up again, it was just in time to see his younger brother behead the warg fixated on the youngest of the company and save Ori through lodging his axe deep into the upper body of the orc above the dwarf.

The burly warrior threw the redhead he had just saved Kili's sword, stooping to the ground for a moment to collect both Kili and Kili's quiver containing the dwarf's arrows and bow. Placing the brunette on his feet, Dwalin began to manoeuvre his two quarries back to the main area of fighting. He was, however, cut off by a wall of orcs and wargs.

The rest of the company too found themselves outnumbered and Balin suddenly had a fleeting thought that this could very well be the last moment that any of them spent alive. Sweat ran down the old dwarf's face, his body still not fully recovered from the fight the night before. He was not as young as he used to be, but he was still a force to be reckoned with, at least in his own opinion.

It was Gandalf, as per usual, that saved the day.

The enemy was not as numbered as Balin had initially believed, especially since about a third of their force had been cut down by the company. This was not at all worrying for the orcs for they still outnumbered the company at least three to one, but it did make things easier for the wizard the orcs were fighting against. Lifting his staff, Gandalf the Grey struck the ground with his staff, magic rolling from it in forceful waves.

Balin looked around at the attacking force that was now frozen in place. Wargs and orcs alike looked as if time itself had stopped, and the white bearded dwarf would have believed it too if everything else, including himself and the rest of the company, had remained unfrozen.

"I suggest we get moving for the spell will not last all that long," Gandalf informed them, looking towards Thorin more than anyone else, "Avoid contact with them or else the spell will break." On his words however, Bofur tripped over a rock in his path, knocking into straight into the snarling face of a warg. Both Bifur and Nori pulled back the toymaker just in time for the warg's jaws to snap close on thin air.

"RUN!" Thorin shouted, the company immediately obeying him as the rest of their foes regained control of their bodies. Balin bolted left, Bilbo behind him, Gandalf shooting past on his longer legs. From the corner of his eye, the white bearded dwarf caught a glimpse of the rest of the company shooting off in different direction before the somewhat blurred outline of trees replaced the scene.

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**Should I continue? Please review.**


	2. Split

**This was going to be longer, but I decided to keep to one POV per chapter. In any case, it could help me to update faster (don't hold me to that). So here is the second chapter, enjoy. **

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**Chapter 2: Split**

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Dwalin maintained one hand on the youngest of the company as he ushered both Kili and Ori forwards. The younger of the two was uncharacteristically unsteady on his feet, stumbling every so often as he ran causing need for the oldest of the three to steady him constantly.

The sound of their perusing enemy was not music to Dwalin's ears, but he was somewhat glad for the fact that it allowed him to know where the bastards were. The warrior pushed himself and the other two further, gritting his teeth as he found himself backtracking the way the company had come.

"Through here," he eventually said, pushing first Kili than Ori through a tight fitting gap between two boulders and into a sort of rocky cave.

It was not all that wide, but the tallest of the three was thankful he only had to stoop a little to avoid brushing the roof with his head. The warrior peeked out of the crevice they had come through, trying to keep his breathing as quiet as possible.

"We need to head east, just like Gandalf said, so we can meet up with the rest of the company," Dwalin informed the other two, dropping Kili's bow to the ground. He gave one last glance to the scene outside of their hiding place, his nerves n edge and mind filled with worry for the others. Though he wouldn't admit it, the tall warrior was worried for all of the others, including the thief, Nori, the small hobbit, and even the constantly annoying Bofur.

"But that is in the completely opposite direction to where we are now," Ori cried in the dwarf's ear, drawing the warrior back to the situation as the scribe's fear and worry getting the better of him.

"I know," Dwalin growled back, propping Kili up against one rocky wall so he could examine the brunette properly. There didn't seem to be any major injuries, though the seasoned warrior could feel a large and growing lump on the back of the archer's head.

"Wh' are you doing?" the youth slurred, his brown eyes slightly unfocused as he stared up at Dwalin. The older dwarf fought back a heaving sigh.

"How many fingers am I holding up, lad?" he asked, displaying three fingers right in front of Kili's face.

"I dunno," the brunette answered, still slurring as he tried to concentrate of the fingers in front of him, "Three? What happen'd? Where's the rest o' the company?"

This time Dwalin did sigh, letting go of Kili's shoulder as he did so in order to raise his hands to the heavens.

"Why?" the warrior asked, "Why me?"

"What are we going to do? What are we going to do?" Ori was saying beside him, panicking loudly enough to be heard by anything within a certain radius of where they were. Dwalin turned on him, his frustration at the orcs and concern for the wellbeing of the others seeping through the cracks in his resolve.

"Shut it," the bald dwarf half yelled before lowering his voice, taking a few deep breaths as Ori stared up at him in shock, "Sorry lad, but I need you to be quiet. We are stuck out here, split up from the company and probably the furthest away from the meeting place. Kili appears to have a concussion of a certain degree which renders him practically useless, and to be truthful, I am the only one here who can stand a chance in a fight against a warg as of this moment."

"But…but…" Ori stammered, hands twisting the wool of his sweater nervously.

"Take a deep breath," Dwalin advised, "Good. Now let it out. We'll get out of this, I just need you to be quiet and watch Kili for a moment."

"Why?" Ori asked, his voice notably softer this time round, "What are you going to do?"

"Figure out how we are going to get out of this mess," the bald dwarf answered.

"Oh," the redhead said in an even smaller voice before turning to Kili to do as Dwalin had said and watch over the young dwarf, chewing his bottom lip as he did so.

Dwalin watched them for a moment before turning to peer out of the entrance to the cave once again. How he had been stuck with the youngest of the company as well as the least experienced with fighting and the rougher world in general, the warrior would never know, though he had done right by getting the pair out of the fight as fast as he could. What he was most annoyed about, however, was the fact that he had no idea what was happening to the other members of the company.

Seeing nothing, but still hearing the faint sounds of searching orcs, Dwalin let out the breath of air he had been holding in and turned back to sit on the ground by both Ori and Kili. After a moment of gathering his thoughts, the bald warrior opened his mouth to speak, wanting to clear a few hazy details at the start.

"What happened?" he asked, "How did they attack you, because when we looked over, Kili had already been floored and you were being pinned by your neck to a tree." Ori rubbed a hand around his neck as he shivered at the memory.

"Well," he said softly, "They sort of attacked us from behind. I think Kili had noticed something was wrong just before they hit him on the back of the head because he had been reaching for his sword beforehand. I was distracted and then they grabbed me, and you know the rest."

"That explains the concussion," Dwalin frowned, another thought striking him, "Why didn't they kill you though? They certainly had enough time to do so before we spotted them."

"I think you startled them into letting me go when I cried out," Ori informed the older dwarf, "And they hit Kili really hard on the back of the head; he collapsed instantly. Perhaps they thought he was dead."

"Perhaps," Dwalin muttered, unsure of what to make of the information.

"What are we goin' t'do?" Kili asked from where he was, speaking up for the first time in a while.

"Wait a bit," the strongest and most experienced of the group said, "After that, it will probably be safe enough to make our move." Or so Dwalin hoped. It would be just his luck that the him and the other two would be the group to run into the orcs.

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**So, what do you think?**


	3. Tempers

**Sorry for the long update, but trying to write dialogue in Khuduzl is painful. In any case, I hope you enjoy it (and sorry if it is a bit short). Translations at the bottom.**

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**Chapter 3: Tempers**

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Bofur kept on running nonstop as he tailed it after his cousin. Nori was keeping pace almost neck-and-neck with the toymaker, and it was as such that the three rounded a fallen log, feet pounding the earth beneath in their frenzy to escape the orcs behind them.

"Bloody bastards," Bofur managed to call out over his shoulder in a loud and insulting voice. Nori shot him a look, face flushed red and hair awry from running.

"You really think that will help our situation?" the usually shifty dwarf cried.

"It's not like they weren't already chasing us," Bofur argued back before pulling forward at a faster speed as an arrow slammed into a tree, the razor sharp head removing a small lock of his black-brown hair which then proceeded to float towards the ground.

"Yeah, but they hadn't been shooting at us before!"

Bofur ignored the comment as he continued to flee, almost missing the urgent words Bifur had called out in warning, swerving the ditch in the ground at the last moment, several arrows thudding into the ground where the toymaker had been mere seconds ago.

"We need to find cover," Nori said loudly as the trio of dwarves continued to crash through the bracken underfoot and the branches overhead, "Either that or we need to take out their damn archers."

"Are you suggesting we fight?" Bofur asked, spitting out a mouthful of leaves a moment later as he ran face first into a rather leafy branch, "We'll be chopped to pieces!"

Nori did not have a chance to answer for the Bifur had just pushed the two arguing companions over the edge of a large ditch, the three tumbling down the sides head over heels, Bofur keeping a tight grip on his hat and his mouth tightly shut. He did not want more dirt and Durin knew what else getting in there.

Finally the three members of the company came to the bottom on the ditch, pausing for a moment when they could hear nothing above or around them save for the natural sounds of the forest and each other's heavy breathing.

"I…I think we lost them," Bofur said eventually, panting from the exertion of running full out for the first time in days.

"Unless they have trained those wargs of theirs' to be dead quiet, I believe so," Nori answered, sarcasm laced in with a tone that clearly displayed the relief he felt, "Now what?"

Bofur looked towards Bifur who was looking up at the sun, squinting as he thought. Though his mind was somewhat addled by the axe buried in his head, Bofur could honestly say that his older cousin knew most things - basic or otherwise - well, and more often than not realised something that anyone else would have otherwise missed. After a while, the bulky dwarf pointed through the trees, the direction of his arm pointing south-east.

"'Arukh urkȗndim farak nud umkhȗh Thrakȗn ra bahih," Bifur said, staring intently at the toymaker before him.

"Bifur's right," Bofur stated, "We need to meet up with the others. So I would suggest we get started. There is strength in numbers, and if we can find Gandalf, maybe he can help us locate the rest of our companions." The toymaker's voice was somewhat optimistic on the last part, the dark haired dwarf seeming to act as if though nothing was majorly wrong. The third dwarf that made up the group, however, was in far lower spirits.

"Because tracking a group of dwarves is always easy," Nori muttered darkly, kicking a lose rock along the ground.

"Why are you being so pessimistic?" Bofur growled, beginning to lose his cool with the brown haired dwarf.

"Because I would rather be truthful than to build false hope on poorly stated lies," Nori shot back. Bofur opened his mouth to retaliate, annoyed at his companion.

"And what is wrong with a little hope?" the toymaker asked, his voice haughty.

"Nothing, except for trying to find hope where there is none," the shady dwarf shot back. Bofur's eyebrows went up almost comically as he gave Nori a scrutinising look.

"Are you trying to say we have no hope in finding the company?" he asked, his voice and tone both coloured with the beginnings of a growing anger.

"I am saying that there is almost no hope that we will survive this journey," Nori shot back, his own voice rising a few degrees in volume and losing a few in temperature.

"You should be glad Thorin is not here to hear you say that or else he would have your head," Bofur remarked.

"I will probably lose it on this quest in any case," came the heated reply.

Bofur paused for a moment, trying to reign in his thoughts as a question developed in his mind.

"If you think that, then why did you agree to come on this quest anyway?" the toymaker asked, "No one forced you to sign the contract."

"I came for the spoils," Nori sneered back, his own eyebrows furrowing deeply n his brow, "And I also came to watch out for my younger brother, but for all I know he could be lying dead somewhere as of this moment."

"If you are so concerned for Ori, then why didn't you go and assist him when he was being strangled by the orcs?" Bofur almost shouted.

"Because," Nori yelled back, "I couldn't get past the thrice damned orcs!"

Off to the side of the two arguing dwarves, Bifur was contently watching a mother bird feed her three chicks, not overly concerned about what was transpiring behind him. Eventually bot Nori and Bofur found themselves at a stalemate, and both gave each other a long and hard stare as the air around them fell silent.

"It is best we get started if we are going to meet up with the others," Bofur finally said, the first to break his gaze as he turned away from Nori. The toymaker gestured for Bifur to lead the way, glancing back at Nori who gave him a somewhat stiff nod before following the pair broodingly.

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**Please review. Fingers crossed for a fast update (but no promises - I have a million things to write and update -_-)**

**Translations:**

_**'Arukh - (**_**the) need**

_**urkȗndim - **_**to travel**

_** farak - **_**south**

_**nud - **_**east**

_**umkhȗh - **_**to find**

_**Thrakȗn - **_**Gandalf**

_**ra - **_**and**

_**bahih**** - (**_**the) company**


	4. Fight

**May not be the best quality (that will improve, but hard doing first introduction to Thorin's point of view). May not be the longest chapter (but hey, it took me ages to sit down and write it so be glad I updated at all ;) Hope you enjoy it. **

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**Chapter 4: Fight**

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Thorin silently swore to himself that if they all got out of this alive he would try to be more patient with his two nephews at the very least. As it was, he did not even know whether or not the youngest one was still alive, for only Thorin's blonde haired heir ran beside him, the younger dwarf almost outpacing his dark haired leader with his long strides.

With the two kinsmen ran Oin, the company healer. The old dwarf had surprising stamina, possibly from having to constantly run around everywhere back in the Blue Mountains in order to meet the demands of those who required his services. Behind the trio was another group of beings of whom Thorin would have been more than happy to have been lazy slobs. The orcs, however, had other ideas and they did not let up in their pursuit.

Mind flowing rapidly as the exiled king tried to think of a way out of this, Thorin and the others banked a turn at the edge of a small cliff, not wanting to go down the drop and risk injuries that would only implicate their situation further. A quick glance behind showed that several of the group's unwanted company was pulling ahead, namely the orcs that were on wargs. It appeared there was no other option; they would have to fight.

Turning, the dark haired dwarf drew the elfish blade he had collected from the cave of the trolls. His back came up against a large rock jutting from the ground, Fili stepping beside the company leader, the blonde drawing his own two swords as the both nephew and uncle prepared for the oncoming assault. Oin too, realising their movements, was now bearing his staff in both hands, the stick now raised halfway to his face. Anyone who had ever had any doubts about whether the staff was a real weapon were instantly disproved as a warg was felled with a massive dent to its head, the company healer having swung his stick as far out as it would go in order to meet the leaping creature.

Thorin's world turned into a frenzy of wild and erratic movements as he tried to keep himself alive and ensure that the blonde dwarf beside him did not get beheaded or stuck in the back with a knife.

"Watch yourself," he called in a gruff voice, narrowly dodging an orcish blade aimed at his middle as he parried another going for his nephew's head. Fili turned from the orc he had just finished at his uncle's words, sliding the sword in his right hand out of the corpse's body and swinging the blade around to connect with his attacker's neck. Thorin ducked the spray of black blood the neck of the now headless orc spurted, bringing his own sword up to impale the brain of a warg through its open upper jaw.

Thorin was a force to be reckoned with, sword cleaving through the enemy almost as fast as they could come towards him. However, it was almost not enough. Had Fili and Oin not been with him, the exiled king had little to no doubt that he would have been killed in the very early stages of the fighting. As it was, there had already been too many close calls for the dark haired dwarf's comfort; from Fili nearly being gutted by a ragged broadsword to Oin nearly having his own head caved in by an axe to himself nearly being beheaded when he slipped on a blood soaked patch of ground. In that instant, Fili had been the one to grab a hold of him and, thankfully bearing the ability to wield a separate in each hand, had managed to somehow skewer the orcish swordsman.

Stepping forward slightly, the trio of fighters began to gain some ground, only a third of the original party of orcs still fighting against them. A small group of the enemy each spread themselves around the dwarves, making one of each of their targets the centre of each of their half circles. They jabbed at Thorin and his companions, swords, axes and maces darting in and out of striking range. The exiled king was only glad that most of the orcish archers had not chosen to pursue them, and the one that had had been taken out by a precise throw performed by Fili with one of the throwing knives in his forearm guards.

The orcs that surrounded the company leader seemed almost too egger to try and kill the grey-blue eyed dwarf and Thorin cut each enemy he faced down with a grim glee, the muscles in his arms tiring rapidly from the constant jarring created by metal meeting metal at an almost overwhelming display of force and speed. Finally, at long last only one orc was left sanding, and as the being came towards the exiled king, he dark haired dwarf swung his sword around, the hilt of it connecting with the being's head. The orc stumbled back, meeting its ultimate demise at the hands of the youngest dwarf there.

Looking around, Thorin panted slightly, winded from running so hard and then fighting even harder. He glanced over at his two companions, grunting in what was a cross between relief and satisfaction that neither had sustained any real injuries. His nephew's eyes were slightly wide however, fear etched clearly onto the youth's face as the blonde glanced back along the path they had come from.

"Where are the others?" he asked, the shake in his voice almost non-existent. Thorin heaved a sigh, biting his lower lip as he did so and brow creasing ever so slightly.

"It would appear that we separated from the group when we fled," he told his nephew, "Meaning that we need to get back to them and fast. I do not like our chances if we come across another group of orcs as large or even larger than this one."

"What about Kili?" came Fili's next question, one that Thorin had been expecting, "He was caught on the other side when we ran."

"We'll just have to hope he is fine for now," Thorin replied, rubbing one hand over his face as he tried to think, "I am almost certain both Dwalin and Ori took off with him, so he should be alright if they run into trouble." The dark haired dwarf thought it better to answer the questions before they came in order to save time.

Turning around, the company leader regarded the surrounding environment, avoiding stepping on the remains of a dead warg as he did so. From the looks of the sun he could tell they were not where they needed to be in regards to meeting up with the others in Gandalf's designated spot, yet they were not too far off the path either. If they continued on in the same direction with only a few slight alterations to their path, Thorin was certain it would not be all that long until they found the others.

"It is time we got moving," the dark haired dwarf said, his voice ringing out deep and clear in the air.

Fili swallowed, and glanced back the way they had come, obviously still worried about his brother, but he did let go of the breath he had been holding, retrieving his two knives, slipping them back into their sheaths before picking up his swords. As the blonde made to sheath them as well, however, Thorin shook his head.

"Keep at least one at hand in case we run into anything else," he said, watching as Fili nodded and done as the dark haired dwarf had told him, standing with one sword in his hands instead of none.

Oin stretched his arms, pulling forward from the rock he had been leaning on previously. He nodded to his leader, one end of his staff placed on the ground for use as a walking stick. Thorin gave the scene one last look over before nodding his own head and leading the other two towards what he hoped would be the resolution to the chaos that had now descended upon the company.

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**No annoying dwarfish language in this one. :) Please review. **


	5. Flight

**Short chapter, I know, and maybe not the best, but I will try my best to get another up today. If I don't you may have to wait a while... Just warning you. Also, these are all characters I generally do not write so be nice. On another note, sorry if all the chapters so far seem repetitive, but I need it for the storyline - after the next chapter it should all be a bit more exciting and random.**

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**Chapter 5: Flight**

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Bombur was huffing and puffing, red in the face from running with so much weight added onto his already hefty body. Why the orcs had to chase them, he had no idea, but the ginger dwarf was beginning to resent the fact that the orcs were after them at all. Could they not see that the company had had enough of unplanned and unexpected excitement for one day? Could they not just leave them well alone? The world, however, apparently did not work that way.

"Dwarves were not made for cross country," the rounded dwarf heard Gloin complain through heavy breathing up ahead, "Especially not cross country through a dense forest." Bombur had to agree with the redhead for he found the running torture and the leaping over fallen branches and logs even more so. If Dori had any comments, he kept them to himself, seemingly content with keeping his gaze focused straight ahead as he focused on not tripping up on any roots in his path.

The wargs and their riders were growing closer, despite the three's best efforts, and though it was probably his imagination, the round Bombur could feel the hot breath of a dozen frenzied wargs on the back of his neck. The sensation was far from comforting, the only helpful factor about it was that it made the heavy set dwarf pick up his pace. He very nearly overtook Gloin as he speed up, both red haired dwarves narrowly avoiding colliding together.

"Watch it," Gloin growled at the dwarf who had very nearly tripped him up in between gasping breaths, "The last thing I need is to fall face first into the dirt." Bombur would have replied with an apology, but as it was, he was having a difficult time of it just keeping his two legs moving.

They needed to lose their pursuers, Bombur, Gloin and Dori all knew that much, but besides keeping their arses in high gear, none of the trio could think of anything that could help them get away. The howling and yelling of the enemy behind them did not help to clarify any of their minds either. None of the three were exactly known for thinking on the fly.

The small group of dwarves ran deeper and deeper into the forest, kicking up dust as they went which served to slow the orcs behind them, even if only by a small fraction. That was when Dori had a brainwave that would work extremely well if the three could manage to pull it off.

"Ready?" the white haired dwarf asked his two ginger companions. Gloin grunted in response and Bombur could only widen his eyes further.

As the three neared the edge of a large gorge, they dug within their reserves in order to put on a little extra speed. The orcs behind them sped up as well, adrenaline high and all eager to catch their prey. They were too caught up in the chase to see the gaping opening in the ground in front of them and as the dwarves all dove to one side, the wargs and their riders careered over the edge, having been unable to skid to a shuddering stop.

Bombur revealed in the chance to catch his breath, mouth opening and closing much like a fish out of water. Sweat was rolling off him in rivers and heat radiating from his exhausted limbs in waves. Beside the round being, both Gloin and Dori were taking the chance to recover as well, the latter murmuring brash comments that Nori had been so often harshly lectured about using.

"I…don't think…the fall…would have killed…them," Gloin managed to get out, his voice soft and breathy. Bombur grimaced, knowing it to be the most probable truth. Their luck, it seemed, never turned out to be that good.

After another moment, the exhausted dwarves pulled themselves up, looking at each other before peering down the sides of the gorge.

"Well, that is not a very comforting sight," Dori remarked, wargs and orcs alike prowling around as they searched for a means to re-join their targets back up the top.

"I say let's not tarry here any longer," Gloin stated, turning as he made ready to run, "Let's make the most of this head start as we can and see if we can find the others."

"If they have not already been taken by the wargs," Dori muttered, worry evident on his face for both his younger brothers, Ori in particular. Bombur said nothing, still too winded to comment. Rather he continued to heave in great gulps of air, his legs burning.

"East is where we will find them," Gloin put forth, "So east is the way we need to go."

Bombur made his first sound since the attack on the company other than heavy breathing. Continuing to groan as he forced one foot in front of the other, he began to pick up his pace, following the others as they ran on ahead, away from the frustrated yowls floating up from the gorge below.

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**So, review?**


	6. Ready and waiting

**Just wanted to get this up before, well, my longish break from writing (but don't get me wrong, if I could update, I would). In any case, this chapter may not contain much action, but in a way that is sort of the point. Enjoy, and thanks for all the reviews so far. I promise to update as soon as I can.**

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**Chapter 6: Ready and waiting**

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Balin was ever so glad that Gandalf was with him as he, the wizard and the hobbit legged it from the clearing, the first and last following the second and infinitely wiser being the whole way. It had only taken a small while for the orcs behind them to become…discouraged in continuing to follow the three, a few spells from Gandalf doing the trick to confuse the part which was so eager to hunt the company down. The confusion lead to chaos and in the midst of the ruckus, Bilbo, Balin and Gandalf had fled.

The company wizard was muttering to himself which was always a good sign. The grey bearded magician had a small frown upon his face, one which showed the fact that he was thinking hard, and Balin managed to catch a few words that flowed from his mouth, mainly ones cursing the existence of orcs and the thickness of the forest. Never the less, the white bearded dwarf trusted the grey wizard not to lead them astray.

"What do you think happened to the others?" a small voice asked as Gandalf paced around the clearing. Balin glanced down at the hobbit and offered a grim smile.

"It would take a lot more than a group of orcs to get rid of that bunch," he said, he himself wondering at the fates of the rest of the dwarves, "And more to the point, most, if not all of them are trained warriors so should be able to hold their own."

"But will they be able to find us in this forest?" Bilbo fretted, his small hands twisting the fabric of his waistcoat.

"I must admit, not all of the company are so good with directions," Balin stated, deciding to try his hand a light sort of humour in order to further reassure the company burglar, "So long as Thorin does not get lost again, they should be fine."

"But what if the orcs get them?" the hobbit inquired, seeming inclined to worry about every small detail.

"Dwarves are a hardy race, my dear Bilbo," Gandalf answered, taking over for Balin of which the white bearded dwarf was grateful for, "You will find that they will not be so easily defeated by a mere handful of orcs. Now we had best be moving for the orcs will not stay off our trail for long I fear."

At the wizard's invitation, both Bilbo and Balin started up again, this time moving forward at a swift yet comfortable walk. As the oldest, the tallest and the most self-assured, Gandalf went first, leading the way with his grey cloak billowing behind him in the slight breeze. The company burglar was next, Balin wanting to keep an eye out for him and also wanting to keep an eye out for any dangers that may be following them. The white bearded dwarf himself brought up the rear of the small group, one hand pressed firmly to hilt of his sword at all times, ready to draw it if the need arose.

The white bearded dwarf wondered how his younger brother was fairing, knowing that he had taken off with both Kili and Ori. Dwalin was not the most patient of dwarves and being stuck with two of the youngest in the company would not leave his brother overly happy. Still, as far as keeping the pair out of trouble, the burly warrior could be depended on for Balin knew from experience that Dwalin would rather risk injury himself than to see either of the dwarves wounded, Kili in particular, both the bald dwarf and his older brother lending a hand in helping to raise Thorin's two nephews. Dwalin held the same principles with any of his men, and was one of the most protective dwarves in the company, always constantly watching for danger. Balin secretly feared he would one day get himself killed because of it.

The old dwarf's next thoughts flew of the matter of the orcs. Balin had no idea how the foul creatures had found them, for the journey had been kept secret from most of the race of dwarves, and the only outsiders who knew were both walking in front of him almost leisurely. Whether the attack had been a coincidence or planned, the oldest dwarf of the company could not shake the feeling of foreboding that had come with the wargs and their riders. The white haired dwarf doubted that it would be the last they would see of the monsters.

Moving on from the topic, Balin watched as Bilbo stared ahead of himself, shoulders obviously tense with an ill disguised fear. The dwarf admired the hobbit, for he knew that it had taken great courage for the small being to leave a home as nice as his own in order to assist a group of dwarves he had never met on a quest that could very well result in the ending of his life.

"Where are we going?" the small being asked, breaking the silence that had fallen over the odd trio. Gandalf half turned his head back towards the hobbit as he opened his mouth to deliver his answer.

"East," the grey wizard replied, "To a place where I know we can seek refuge and find answers to questions that need answering."

"And that would be where exactly?" Bilbo inquired, his desire for knowledge of what was happening not satisfied with the answer Gandalf had given. As it was, the wizard did not reply and the same weary silence as before descended upon the small group yet again.

Soon enough the three came to the edge of the forest, the trees around them thinning out into a grass covered plain, boulders of irregular sizes jutting from the earth at irregular intervals as the ground around them rose and fell in height. Balin eyed the scene before him somewhat dubiously before turning to the considerably taller being beside him.

"I hope you know what you're doing, Gandalf," he said in a relatively emotionless voice.

"Fear not," Gandalf replied, leaning on his staff as he surveyed the area, looking for something, "I have a plan. All we need to do now is wait for the others."

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**Review please (and I apologise in advance for the wait for the next chapter of this story and any of my other ones you are currently reading).**


	7. Problems

**Fingers crossed I can update again soon, but for now, enjoy. I hope everyone has a good Christmas.**

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**Chapter 7: Problems**

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A dry heaving sound filled the rocky cranny Dwalin and his two companions were hiding.

"It's alright, lad," the seasoned warrior said in as comforting a voice as he could manage while patting the younger of his two charges on the back softly as the brunette remained hunched over, "Don't try to hold it back, but don't try to force it either." The youth responded by allowing another dry heave to roll through his body.

"Is this a bad sign?" Ori said hysterically from beside him, "He was hit on the head pretty hard and-" Dwalin tuned the unhelpful dwarf out.

Was Kili throwing up a bad sign? Dwalin wasn't sure. Though the burly dwarf was trained in dealing with sick or injured soldiers, he did not have the expertise to deal with such a situation as this. He could deal with lacerations and arrow wounds to a degree, as well as low to moderate fevers and other varying sicknesses. What he was not entirely sure about was head wounds, many of which could be fatal, had been fatal to many of the bald dwarf's good friends and comrades. The one thing he had been sure about was to get the injured dwarf straight to a healer, but, as his own personal run of luck would have it, Oin was not with him and neither was Gandalf or even the tall warrior's brother who knew just how to deal with such things.

Sighing, Dwalin rocked back on his heels, deciding that it was not too much of a big deal now that the brunette had stopped and was back leaning against one rocky wall with his eyes closed. He would have to keep a close eye on the lad, but there was not much else he could do except to keep him awake.

"Kili," the disgruntled dwarf said as he came to a decision, "I need you to keep your eyes open." The bald warrior's words hung unacknowledged in the air for a good while, a period of time long enough for Ori to increase his panic, green to such scenarios as this but head filled with the stories of endings to such scenes.

"He's not opening his eyes," the younger dwarf cried in despair, "What's wrong? Why is he not opening his eyes?"

"I don't know," Dwalin half growled, trying to keep his already thinly worn patience as he stressed over what to do next. Ori, however, was clearly not reassured by these words.

"He's hurt and we don't have Oin to tell us what is wrong," the ginger haired scribe cried, "Fili will have our heads if the orcs and Thorin don't get to us first if Kili dies on our watch. What are we going to do? Kili's not going to die is he? Oh no, he's going to die. He's going to d-"

"Ori, shut it!" Dwalin barked harshly before turning back to his second worrisome quarry, "Kili, open your eyes." The words weren't so much of a request as an order.

No sooner had the command left the greying dwarf's mouth, the exhaling of a deep breath filled the air and round brown and somewhat resentful eyes opened to give him a half-hearted glare.

"There's no need t'shout 'bout it," the brunette slurred in a slightly shaky voice, "Can't I take m'time?"

"Keep your eyes open at all times," Dwalin growled in return, "Unless I say otherwise. You got that?"

Kili blinked in affirmation, choosing to do so rather than moving his head in a simple nod and making the world swim even more. Turning away from the youngest under his charge, Dwalin regarded Ori who was staring back up at him with large eyes widened by shock and fear alike. Resisting the urge to bang his head against something, the oldest and most experienced dwarf of the three forced himself to calm down and think things through, his nose wrinkling unnoticeably at the smell of the recently disposed contents of the company archer's stomach.

"We need to get moving if we are ever going to meet up with the rest of the company," he said after a small pause in which he had taken the time to gather his thoughts, "Can you stand?" Kili grimaced and shook his head ever so slightly as he became the focus of Dwalin's gaze.

"Not 'less you can stop the wor'd swayin'," the brunette informed him with the same crease still lining his forehead. Dwalin eyed him through half squinted eyes before turning back to where Ori was now standing, wringing the edge of his knitted jumper between his two hands nervously.

"Help him up," the taller of the two said bluntly as he moved to peer out of their hiding space and into the forest beyond. After several moments, pierced by a small groan and a heavy exhaling of air, the seasoned warrior signalled for his two companions to follow him as he carefully exited the small and rocky enclosure. Dwalin glanced back for a brief second to ensure that both Ori and Kili were fine before walking forward in the direction they had come, axes drawn as if he were awaiting an unexpected ambush, which he was. Ori was now his usual quiet self again, wary of everything around him, not that Dwalin missed the noise. He needed to not be distracted or else he could miss something. Kili, however, obviously did not want to be so silent.

"You know where we're goin'?" he asked, his voice low, his slow and dodgy pronunciation the same as before.

"I know where we have to head," came Dwalin's answer, the older dwarf unhappy with the slow pace being set by the two dwarves behind him, "Can you not move faster?"

"W'can try," Kili replied, his voice none to confident. Dwalin's bushy eyebrows drew together as he inspected the area surrounding him and the two others, brow furrowed deeply.

"Do not push yourself if it will only make your condition worse," the bald warrior informed the injured dwarf of the three. He did not want to have to be carrying anyone as it would only serve as a hassle and present themselves as easier targets to the orcs.

The trio continued on for some time in the same formation; Dwalin at the front and Ori supporting Kili at the back. Movement shifted the branches of the trees across from them at one point, but none of the dwarves took notice of it until a black shafted projectile came hurtling out through the leaves to be acknowledged by a loud and colourful grunt of anger.

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**You know the drill, I write the chapter and then you review...**


	8. Words

**Hello. I am alive and home from holidays. I thought I owed you an update as soon as possible (haven't even been home one day I care about you all that much ;). Warning though - before you criticise me about Nori's story here, I have no idea what it actually is but it works with the storyline in my opinion so please no harsh reviews about it, it is fiction after all. Now, enjoy. :)**

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**Chapter 8: Words**

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Nori and Bofur walked in a stiff silence, both refusing to acknowledge each other as they continued to tramp through the forest they were now pretty much lost in. Bifur was lost too, lost in his own world just as much as the one around him. The addled minded dwarf, however, was alert enough to lead the way to the company, the quietest company member determining the path to take from the direction of the sun which remained high in the sky.

"Can you not tread any lighter?" Nori asked, finally breaking the silence as Bofur yet again snapped a branch with his heavy gait.

"I have not had the need to tread any lighter than this before, as you no doubt have," Bofur snapped back, his mood still foul from the argument before. The brown haired dwarf beside the toymaker rolled his eyes before curling in on himself so he looked like a prowler.

"And is that a reference to my supposed thieving ways?" Nori inquired in a curious and heavily sarcastic voice.

"Everyone knows you're a sneaking thief," Bofur said, his nose held high, "And we all know that is why you came on this quest. You said so yourself that you only came for the spoils." Nori growled in response.

"_And_ for my brother," he replied with a voice rapidly rising in heat, "Both of them. I would rather see Dori and Ori survive this than have a mountain full of gold to call my own. The name of a thief is unjustly given."

"What?" Bofur said snorting, "Unjustly given? Would you ever dare to claim you have stolen nothing in your life?"

"And you haven't?"

"I have the decency to ask first," Bofur growled back, his tone dark and ugly.

"But you have stolen," Nori said, forcing the dark haired dwarf beside him to give the answer the former dwarf so desired to hear from the latter's lips.

"Yes, but only because the need presented itself," Bofur finally relented, shouting his answer to the world, "It was a life or death situation.

"AS IT WAS EACH BLASTED TIME I STOLE!" Nori bellowed, stopping short in his walking as his eyes bored holes into the company member beside him.

"Really?" Bofur responded with more than a little incredulity, "Forgive me if I don't believe you."

"I wouldn't expect you to," Nori said with a large amount of contempt for the dwarf he was speaking to.

"And just what is that supposed to mean?"

"Well, you and Bifur run a successful toyshop do you not? And that was after you and your family made it well by as average miners," Nori informed Bofur with a voice of resentment, "And Bombur is happily married with dwarflings running about the place running his own successful inn. None of you have really had to get by. Now me and my brothers on the other hand…"

Bofur raised his eyebrows as Nori laughed humourlessly, the brunette's head thrown back as the shifty dwarf's own eyebrows were drawn together in an angry frown aimed at the whole world. Lowering his head, Nori closed his mouth before opening it to continue as the last peels of his haunting laughter faded from the air around the trio, Bifur now watching the arguably crazed dwarf, analysing Nori's actions and words in his own unique way.

"Life was not always so easy for us," he explained without a trace of emotion in his words or on his face, "Sure after a while Dori was earning enough to keep us afloat, but before then when the dwarves of the fallen Erebor were still having a particularly hard time settling into the Blue Mountains… Dori was always too proud to ask for help. I had no particular talents to help out in those times; I was no master a metal or woodwork and would have rather died than face the mines where cave ins happen almost frequently. Besides, back then I was too young, still not more than one of the older dwarflings. The only thing I could do well was go unnoticed in the shadows so I turned that to my advantage. I admittedly got caught a few times, but it brought in enough coin to get by before Dori finally got himself a proper job."

"And yet I see you still haven't," Bofur remarked after a long pause as Nori's words sunk in, though the dwarf the usually cheery company member spoke to was unsure at whether or not the words were a mere jest or an insult.

"A habit is a habit," Nori said hesitantly, going for the first option with how the toymaker was now speaking to him, "And it became a habit."

"Then you had better break out of that habit before it causes the company grief," Bofur informed him, "From what I know, the authorities back in the Blue Mountains are after you."

"Were," Nori corrected, "I doubt they will be after me now." The argument between both Nori and Bofur seemed to have been forgotten for the time being.

"That would be true," Bofur laughed, "And if you survive this journey to help reclaim Erebor, you will return the conquering hero and will be untouchable. Of course, we first need to meet up with the others to get the company back together again, and they, in turn, need to somehow escape the orcs after them."

A small silence stretched between the pair as Bifur continued to stare at Nori intently. Bofur looked around, anywhere but the eyes of the only dwarf he was with not related to him. Nori proved himself to be the bravest, speaking what was now on all threes' mind, or at least two of their minds in any case.

"You don't think-" the shifty dwarf began.

"It would take a lot of force to bring down Bombur or either of your brothers," Bofur replied, his voice not as optimistic as his words.

"It was a large group of orcs," Nori said uncertainly.

"And we three managed to ditch them just fine," Bofur responded, "The others should be able to manage."

"I still do not like their chances," Nori muttered darkly. Bofur sighed.

"We can only hope for the best," he replied, shooting a grim look back in the direction they had come.

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**Please review or I may just go away again... ;)**


	9. Worry

**Sorry for the short chapter (it's a bit of a filler and the ideas weren't flowing) but the next one with them in it will be better - I just couldn't write it yet. I'll try to update soon.**

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**Chapter 9: Worry**

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Fili was worried; that much was clear as the blonde dwarf trod alongside his uncle. That much had been expected as well, for the lad's brother did not exactly have a good reputation when it came to facing a problem and escaping unharmed. For years Dis had fretted over letting her youngest out of the house out of the fear that something unspeakably bad would happen to him. Fili, however, had escaped the trait of attracting danger wherever he went, something which only left him to worry over his younger brother, especially when both he and Thorin were separated from him.

Oin was worried too; the emotion etched onto his face as if the old dwarf had been permanently born with it. Gloin was still out there in the midst of all the danger and it was thus that Thorin was reminded that Oin too had a younger brother somewhere out there that he would rather be protecting. The exiled king knew the feeling well, having honed it on Frerin and then Dis long before either of his nephews had come into the world. Unfortunately, the instinct of sticking with his younger brother through thick and thin had proved useless and Frerin had still died despite everything that Thorin had done. If the same were to befall to Kili because Thorin was not there to keep him from harm…

Shaking his head of the dark thoughts, Thorin chanced a glance back from whence they had come. As far as he could tell, naught were following them save their own worries and fears. Still, the dark haired dwarf remained with his sword in hand, unwilling to be caught unawares as they all had before. His two companions also remained armed, their eyes wary and searching.

"How far is it to the meeting place?" Fili asked from behind his uncle. Thorin did not pause in step as he answered.

"We still have a fair bit to travel, but we should reach it before the sun begins to sink in the sky," came his answer. Having been caught in the early morning instead of later in the day was a small miracle for it gave each separate group of the company - however many there were - a chance to catch up to each other before nightfall. Still, Thorin did fear that they would be caught out in the dark, a situation which he would find highly unsavoury given the orcs still at large.

The threesome continued on for some time, an unbroken silence enveloping them once again. Several birds sang in the trees above them and it the small breeze blowing through the leaves of the same trees created more sound making the forest and the dwarves' footsteps in it seem unnaturally loud.

"What if they are not there?" Fili asked finally, unable to keep his thoughts to himself any longer.

"We will just have to hope they are, lad," Oin said from beside him, leaving Thorin to ensure they were still heading in the right direction in peace.

"But what if they are not when we arrive? What will we do then?" The blonde's voice made it sound as if he were drowning in worry and Thorin knew exactly why.

"The company will be fine," he said firmly, reassuring himself as much as his nephew, or trying to anyway, "As will your brother. They _will_ be there when we arrive." A glance behind showed that Fili did not look half convinced, but Thorin did not have the time nor frame of mind to try and sooth his heir's fears. He had to ensure the safety of their small group first. Still, the blonde would not let the matter drop.

"And if they are not?"

Thorin did not give him an answer.

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**Please review.**


	10. Lost

**I hope this chapter is better than the last, if only a little (Bombur's hard two write :( . In any case, enjoy. **

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**Chapter 10: Lost**

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"You are sure this way leads east?" Dori's voice asked somewhat incredulously as Gloin led them on through the forest.

"I am sure we are not going around in circles if that is what you are implying," the redhead shot back, glaring up at the sky above him.

"Well, we have not come across anything that looks even remotely familiar, so no, we are not going around in circles," Dori informed Gloin.

"Then why are you complaining?"

"Because we are clearly lost!"

It was like watching a ball being passed back and forth between the pair and Bombur had to close his eyes several times after growing dizzy from watching the bickering pair. This time, however, Gloin seemed to give in.

"Fine, I admit it," he cried out to the trees around them, "We are lost! Happy now?"

"Forgive me when I say not particularly glad of the circumstances we find ourselves in," Dori answered. Bombur swallowed dryly at this, understandably not liking what he was hearing.

"If we're lost," he finally managed to say, "Then how are we meant to find the rest of the company again?"

"Maybe they can find us?" Gloin suggested.

"And how do you suppose they do that in a forest as thick as this?" Dori cried.

"Everyone just calm down," Bombur half shouted.

A short silence filled the air as the group of three took a moment to breath. Their great escape from the chaos of before was not going well and Bombur could feel the beginnings of a panic attack bubbling up inside of him. He was not equipped with the knowledge needed to deal with such situations as this and nor was he experienced in the field of picking one's way through a forest, familiar or otherwise, meaning that he could offer little, if no help in the matter. However, the round dwarf did understand enough to know that all three of them needed to keep their cool lest something worse should happen.

_Such as being ambushed by those orcs we left behind_, the heavy ginger thought blackly.

"What would you have us do?" Dori asked in a tight voice as he stared Bombur down. The fatter dwarf of the two bit the inside of his lip, thinking, before turning to where Gloin stood.

"You seem to be the most capable of getting us out of this mess, no offence," he said calmly, shooting a small nod in the direction of Dori at the last part.

"It is true I do have some experience in situations such as this," Gloin admitted, "Though maybe not enough as you would like."

"Can you at least try to find a way where we can head east?" Dori asked, twirling his hands around each other, "And soon, for I fear that staying in one place for too long may give the orcs we rid ourselves of before may get a chance to gain on and perhaps even come in contact of us for a second time."

"If I could just see an opening through these damn trees," Gloin muttered to himself, "Then the sun could give me a clue as to where we are and what direction we need to take."

Bombur, upon hearing the redhead, looked up, squinting as he tried to find a gap in the leafy canopy above him large enough to show blue sky and not just let in light. He walked around for a bit, ignoring the others before smiling as his eyes alighted on a patch of scenery that was blessedly not a hue of green. Calling Gloin over to him, Bombur pointed out the clear sky. Gloin sent a quick prayer of thanks to the powers above before motioning for both Bombur and Dori to follow him.

The group continued on for some time, Gloin following the sun which had now past its highest point at midday. Continuing on the same path, it was only when a familiar sight appeared before them that Gloin realised his mistake.

"Damn it," the red bearded dwarf swore as he glanced back the way they had come, "We needed to go away from the sun not towards it." Bombur and Dori who were by now stationary at his side did not look happy about their predicament.

"We are back at the same gorge we tricked the wargs and their mounts in going down," Dori cried in despair, "The only difference is that we are on the other side."

"Well, from the looks of it, the orcs are long since gone from down there," Gloin informed them, peering over the edge, "It, however, appears that we have come around in a circle." Bombur focused on inhaling deep breaths as anxiety threatened to overtake him once again.

"We are going to die," Dori muttered feverishly beside the two redheads, "We are going to die."

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**Please review.**


	11. Games

**Bluestarshine helped with the idea for this chapter when I got stuck (thanks by the way), and just so you know, none of the riddles are mine. Enjoy.**

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**Chapter 11: Games**

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Balin sighed for what seemed like the fiftieth time that day. The blue sky was only slightly cloudy and the open and rocky plains before them and Balin was utterly bored out of his mind.

"It looks more like a boar than a wild piglet master Baggins," the grey wizard was saying.

"Oh, yes," the hobbit agreed, "I see it now. It is rather big; looks as though it had tusks as well." He pointed to another fluffy white cloud in the sky. "What do you suppose that one reminds you of?"

"Ah, well," Balin heard Gandalf begin, his staff laying by his side as he folded his hands behind his head and reclined on the grass, "I do believe that cloud reminds me of a man I once met. He was a curious fellow, not one for companionship yet he always did have such nice manners. I met him while travelling in Bree one time, well before you were told of me. You see this man had information that I required about someone I was pursuing most aggressively."

"Who?" Bilbo asked, interrupting.

"That, my dear fellow, may be a story for another time," Gandalf evaded, something which Balin had noticed the wizard was very good at, "But, as I was saying, this man possessed information I needed. He was hard to track down, surprisingly, even with that limp he was known for. Of course, when one has orcs on their trail, one learns to be evasive. You see, Bilbo Baggins, this man was a spy."

"A spy?" The disbelief was evident in the hobbit's voice.

"Yes, indeed, a spy."

The words of Balin's two companions drowned out as the old dwarf focused on the drifting clouds above him. Worry still churned his stomach yet he had long since beat them down, knowing that he could do nothing as of that moment. Dwalin, as much as the older dwarf hated to admit, could look after himself, as could most everyone in the company. Those who the white bearded dwarf had some doubts about Balin assumed were as safe as they could be with another far more reliable in such dangerous situations.

So long as no one gets lost they should all be fine, Balin reasoned with himself, snorting inwardly at remembrance of his leader's sometimes poor sense of direction. Still, Thorin's knack of finding places was better than some others in the company, especially those who became flustered when anxious. Ori, for one, would be hard pressed to figure out which way was up and down let alone east or west, but Ori was with Dwalin, or so Balin hoped.

A tap of the arm caused the white bearded dwarf to turn his head whereupon he was greeted by the smiling, if somewhat unsure face of the company burglar.

"Yes?" he asked kindly, smiling back at the hobbit. Bilbo bit his lip.

"I was wondering if you would like to play a game of riddles with me to pass the time," he said, the small being's words causing Balin to widen his grin.

"Of course, master Baggins," he answered, inwardly groaning as he pulled his body up into a seated position, "But what of our wizard?"

"Gandalf seems to have fallen asleep," Bilbo answered, "Shame too. He was in the middle of an enthralling story."

"I am sure," Balin remarked, not having been listening to said story, "Now shall you or I go first."

"You can start," the hobbit answered, crossing his legs upon the grass and resting his head on his elbows.

"As you wish," Balin said, racking his brains in an attempt to come up with a half decent riddle, "Here; if I drink, I die. If I eat, I am fine. What am I?"

"That's easy," Bilbo smiled, "You are, of course, a fire."

"Well done master Baggins," Balin congratulated, "And now I believe it is your go." The hobbit hefted a sigh before opening his mouth to speak.

"If I have it, I don't share it. If I share it, I don't have it. What am I?" Bilbo asked, a smile upon his lips as he finished.

"That too is easy," Balin laughed, "You are a secret. Now I have one for you; what is so delicate that saying its name breaks it?"

"Ha, that is also easy," Bilbo boasted, "The answer is clearly silence. Now one for you; they come out at night without being called, and are lost in the day without being stolen. What are they?" Balin thought for a moment, going through the lines in his head to be sure of his answer.

"They are stars, are they not?"

"Yes," Bilbo said, "They are stars, and it is your turn again."

"What force and strength cannot get through, I with a gentle touch can do, and many in the street would stand were I not a friend at hand," Balin said, recalling a riddle he had heard a while ago, one brought up by memories of the night in Bilbo's house. It was with a smile that the old dwarf watched as the company burglar tried to figure out the answer.

"You are a key," the hobbit finally guessed. Balin laughed and nodded.

"I suppose you have one to get back at me," he said cheerfully. Bilbo grinned wickedly in return.

"Little Nancy Etticoat has a white petticoat and a red nose. The longer she stands, the shorter she grows," he said with much relish.

Balin thought, trying to decipher the meaning of the words in his mind, yet he drew up nothing several times. On the fifth try, however, it suddenly clicked.

"You are a candle," he said triumphantly.

"You guessed correctly," Bilbo answered.

"Oh, a game of riddles," a voice suddenly cried behind them, "Well, I have one for you; Only one colour, but not one size. Stuck at the bottom, yet easily flies. Present in sun, but not in rain. Doing no harm and feeling no pain. What am I?"

Both Balin and Bilbo stared at the wizard before them blankly, it soon becoming evident that they would not or could not answer. Gandalf's face donned a frown.

"I am a shadow," he said, seeming much offended that the two had not worked it out, "We might as well wait here in silence then if you two are going to act as daft as some of your companions." Silence fell over the three as they resigned themselves to a long wait.

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**Please review (I know it may not be the best).**


	12. Out of luck

**I apologise if this chapter seems short, but I can only force my brain to churn out so many words. Fingers crossed next chapter is longer. I hope you enjoy it none the less.**

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**Chapter 12: Out of luck**

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"That's exactly what I need," Dwalin grumbled as he looked at the long and reasonably deep line the passing arrow had gorged in his arm before lifting his head to stare in the direction the projectile had come from, refusing to acknowledge the pain from the wound .

"Are you alright?" the bald dwarf could hear Ori gabbling next to him, "Are you…? What was that? Where was it from? Where….where did it come…? Are you alright? Please be alright."

"Take Kili's sword," the tattooed warrior said suddenly to the redhead behind him, "For you may have need of it."

"What?" Ori asked, confused and a little breathy from his early rambling.

"It appears the orcs have found us," Dwalin informed them, taking to hand his own axes, "But first let us see if we can outrun them."

"And if we cannot?" Ori asked hesitantly, seeming as if he were afraid to know the answer. Dwalin did not try to soften the blow for there was no time for coddling.

"We will have to fight or else die."

"Soun's like fun," Kili remarked from where he was still leaning heavily on Ori. Dwalin regarded him with a carefully blank expression starting as another black arrow was sent hurtling towards them, missing by a foot yet still close enough to blanch Kili's face and send Ori gasping for air.

'What do we do?" the scribe asked frantically, "What do we do?"

"I for one would prefer we move before they come down upon us like a nest of angry hornets," the seasoned warrior answered bluntly, "So run."

The three set off again as they had before when fleeing from the first initial group of orcs, but this time they fled back in the opposite direction. Dwalin ran behind his two quarries, occasionally giving Ori a respite from guiding the still disorientated and concussed Kili along the path they were taking. For the first few ten or so steps, everything seemed fine and it was as if they had no pursuers until yet another arrow came flying out of the trees and whistling past them. That action, if anything, sped the three dwarves up for they did not care much for the prospect of being shot. However, this was not the worst of it for after the third 'volley' of arrows had been released than snarling and blood curling shouts began behind them.

_Trust the worst luck to befall upon me_, Dwalin thought darkly to himself as he ran, _not only do I have to deal with one dwarf who took a hit to the head too hard and another who is scared of his own shadow, but now I also have to outrun arrows, wargs and orcs with them all the while having been injured myself._

As he thought of his injury, the stream of blood already running down his arm and staining his tunic, yet not enough was gushing out to cause Dwalin to be concerned for his own wellbeing. He had suffered far worse over the years and a little blood now was certainly not enough to make him run crying for a healer, not that a healer was anywhere nearby.

_Always the worst luck,_ Dwalin thought again before grimacing, _well maybe except for Thorin. His luck is worse than mine and I do not envy him for it._

Clearing his head from such despondent thoughts, Dwalin focused on the task at hand. All he had to do was ensure that he and the two youths under his leadership stayed alive, preferably doing so without acquiring more injuries, and met up with the rest of the company. That in itself seemed easy enough, save for when you added a pack of bloodthirsty beings hot upon their tail to the mix.

"Keep weaving in and out of the trees," Dwalin called to where Ori and Kili ran ahead of him, doing their best not to keep moving in a straight line and thus presenting themselves as easy targets for the archers. Dwalin too was taking his own advice, not eager to experience the bite of another arrowhead nor the feeling as one lodged in him permanently, something he understandably wanted to avoid.

"Their catching up!" cried Ori as he glanced fearfully over his shoulder and past Dwalin, looking at the orcs who were in hot pursuit.

"Then keep going," Dwalin growled, the seasoned warrior focusing on breathing, hands slippery with sweat where he gripped the handles of his weapons. His legs would be shaking with exhaustion had his body not been pumping high amounts of fear induced adrenaline through his system counteracting any slither of tiredness the tattooed dwarf would have otherwise been feeling.

Low hanging braches whipped his face as he ran, several drawing thin lines of blood after a particularly sharp and stinging blow. Ori and Kili were in the same boat, often trying to duck the larger branches in favour of trying to keep their eyesight intact. The only good outcome of the situation the three were in was the fact that neither Ori nor Dwalin needed to worry about making Kili keep his eyes open, the blood rush flowing through all of them ensured that the young brunette was as wide wake as he could be given the large bump on the back of his head.

_On the bright side_, Dwalin thought grimly, _I doubt this could get any worse._

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**If you would like to, there is a space below where you can leave reviews.**


	13. Voices

**I have come to the grim conclusion that the chapters are not going to get any longer than they already are (****unfortunately). In any case, here is the next chapter, though it might seem a little rough. Also, Bifur has a few lines of his own which means translations are at the bottom. Enjoy.**

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**Chapter 13: Voices**

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Bofur watched Nori from the corner of his eye, thinking about what the latter had said a while before. The toymaker had not known the exact details of the dwarf's past, yet he had known there had been particularly shady parts to it. These parts, however, had never been elaborated, and now that they had Bofur saw Nori not in a new light, but a clearer one all the same.

"So," the toymaker said, uncomfortable with silence for any length of time, "This is all very memorable."

Nori did not act in any way to acknowledge his companion's words, not that Bofur was surprised. The brown haired dwarf usually kept to himself and this time was not different. Bofur, however, was not put off.

"Look, I'm sorry for calling you a sneaking thief," the toymaker tried again, his tone as apologetic as he could make even though, in his eyes, Nori was still a sneaking thief. Some things about certain beings would never change.

"A habit is a habit," Nori said blandly, quoting Bofur from earlier on, "The title of a thief just comes hand in hand with it."

"Ah, well, now that's cleared up," Bofur began, unsure of what to say next.

"You don't have to make conversation," Nori suddenly said, "We can get along just fine in silence."

"But silence is boring," Bofur replied, "And I need something to take my mind off the rest of the company."

Nori just grunted at the his words and the toymaker took this as assent for him to go on.

"So tell me," the talkative dwarf said, "What stories do you have from your adventures?" Nori thought for a moment before coming to the reluctant conclusion that he was not going to be able to weasel his way out of talking with the dark haired dwarf beside him.

"I stole Dori's teapot once."

Bofur snorted in disbelief.

"I am sure you have done worse than that," the toymaker said with utter surety.

"I suppose I have," the thief admitted with a sigh, "But why I would tell you, I have no idea."

"I take it one of your latest ventures fall into this category, say the one where the authorities somehow caught wind of what you were doing."

"Aye, it does."

"It's a wonder _you _weren't chosen to become the company burglar," Bofur remarked cheerfully.

"I would not trust luck to get me out of there alive," Nori answered in all honesty.

"I doubt Thorin would trust you to not pick up a few keepsakes whilst fulfilling the contract," Bofur replied lightly, a teasing grin plastered across his face. Nori chuckled slightly.

"You might be right there," he admitted, "Though it would be Dwalin who would not trust me outright."

"Dwalin needs to put a smile on in the mornings," Bofur remarked earning a grunt of agreement from the dwarf he was conversing with.

"Klut kalat satf izd," Bifur suddenly remarked, drawing up short as he stopped ahead of them. Both Nori and Bofur donned more serious faces.

"Can you tell who or what is making the noise?" Bofur asked, his voice low and eyes searching the area surrounding them. Bifur shook his head.

"Khazâd?" he said, shrugging.

"It could be some of the company," Bofur replied thoughtfully.

"Are you sure they are not orcs?" Nori asked. Bifur nodded his head violently.

"Should we find out what is creating the noise?" Bofur asked. Nori frowned.

"They are far enough away that I cannot hear anything," the shifty dwarf answered.

"But if they are part of the company…" Bofur countered.

Nori sighed, trying to think of a way he could get his point across. Then he froze, the wind carrying the same sounds which the tallest of the three dwarves had heard to both the ears of himself and Bofur.

"It sounds like arguing," the toymaker at his side said. Hope sprung in Bofur's heart at the thought, hope that the orcs had not yet gotten to his brother or anyone else in the company.

"It sounds like more than arguing," Nori replied with a hint of humor in his voice, "I am quite sure I can here my dearest older brother wailing about something or the other."

"No doubt he is," Bofur answered in a tone of voice much like the dead one Nori had been using earlier in the conversation, "So, do we see whether it is indeed out most esteemed companions who are debating one topic or another loud enough for us to hear or do we continue on to the place where we will eventually meet up with them?"

"Umkhûh khi," came the voice of Bifur. Bofur grinned widely at his cousin before turning to face Nori.

"I, for one, am with Bifur," he stated in a tone more like his own. Nori gave a small tweak of the lips before opening his mouth to state his own opinion.

"Whatever I choose, it looks as though you both will be going to find out who these voices belong to," he said bluntly, "I may as well join you if that is the case, and besides, any chance that it could be at least one of my brothers is good enough for me." Bofur grinned again, this time showing teeth.

"That's the spirit," he said heartily, clapping Nori on the back, "Now let us see if we have indeed stumbled across several of our counterparts."

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**TRANSLATION**

**_Klut kalat satf izd_ – (I) hear noise close (by) us.**

**_Khazâd_ - dwarves**

**_Umkhûh khi_ - find them**

**The words in brackets I could not find, but that is essentially what the sentence is supposed to mean.**

**I would ****like to thank all those who reviewed last chapter - 11 is a lot for just one chapter and of this story no less. So thanks. :) Feel free to review for this one as well.**


	14. Meeting

**And here is the next chapter in this story you all seem to enjoy so much (I don't know why though... ;). Just so you know, when companies meet, POVs will mix around and change - there will be a few less from here on in.**

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**Chapter 14: Meeting**

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Thorin could almost jump for joy as he glimpsed through the trees the very rocky plain in which he had been searching for. He could only hope that the rest of the company were there waiting, hobbit and wizard included. As much as the exiled king hated to admit his dependency on anyone, let alone those he did not fully trust. Good as their intentions might be, Thorin did not know either Gandalf or the hobbit well enough to just blindly follow their lead.

"I will be glad when I can set eyes upon that bothersome brother of mine," Oin remarked from where he had slowed to a walk behind Thorin's eldest nephew. Fili did not say anything, something which his uncle took note of.

"He will be fine," Thorin said firmly, "Dwalin will have gotten both him and Ori to the meeting place. They probably were the first ones there." The dark haired dwarf could only hope his words were not wrong as the trio burst out of the gloom of the forest and into the sunlight.

"Where is everyone?" said Fili, the words tumbling from the blonde's mouth unchecked.

"I would like to know the same thing," Thorin heard himself say as he stared at their surroundings, trying to distinguish if any of the company were indeed around.

"Are you sure we are in the right place?" Oin asked as he placed his hearing trumpet to his ear in an attempt to see if he could hear any familiar voices.

"We are exactly where we are supposed to be," Thorin replied in an exasperated voice.

"So you definitely didn't get lost somewhere along the way?"

The question belonged to Fili and it did not take even half a moment for the blonde's uncle to swing around and glare at him.

"What are you implying?" he asked in a dangerous voice. Fili shrugged and tweaked the corner of his mouth.

"Nothing," the blonde answered to neither the belief of his uncle or Oin, "It's just that you do not have the best reputation in finding places."

"Fili, if you are implying that I get lost often-"

"I thought that was your delectable tones I heard," a new voice cut in. All turned to stare at the wizard who was incidentally leaning casually on his staff.

"Is anyone else with you?" Thorin asked bluntly, not in the mood for idle words.

"Both Balin and master Baggins it seems were the only ones smart enough to stick close to me when you gave the order to retreat," Gandalf said in a voice retaining a somewhat annoyed air, "As it were no one else has turned up save for the three of you. Now is the three of you could kindly stop pointing your weapons in my face I will take you to the other two."

Thorin watched as Fili's face paled at this news, the blonde's thoughts clearly flying to his brother. The company leader found his own mind thinking of Kili, of what may have happened to the rest of the dwarves still stumbling around in the forest. It would seem that not everything had gone as he had planned.

Sheathing his blade as Gandalf had asked, Thorin followed the grey wizard to where both Balin and Bilbo were reclining against a rock, watching the line of trees before them.

"And what have you been doing while we were busy fighting orcs?" the company leader asked as he began to pace around the now group of five.

"Doing the only thing we can do," Balin replied as he got stiffly to his feet, "Sitting and waiting for the rest of you to turn up."

Thorin did not move to acknowledge this as his hand routinely kept on sliding to the hilt of his weapon of choice. He was clearly running on pent up nervous energy, but that fact did not concern the exiled king for it kept him both attentive and alert.

"Did you see any of the others while journeying here?" Thorin heard Balin ask. The dark haired dwarf immediately shook his head.

"We did not. What of you?"

"Likewise," Balin replied with the slight hint of a disappointed air, "We did not see hair nor hide of the rest of the company."

"Then we can only hope they will be here soon and have not gotten themselves into trouble," Thorin sighed, his thoughts again flying to Kili. He would not forgive himself if something happened to his nephew, and Durin knew Fili would bring upon himself a whole lot more guilt. Just as Dis had made him promise to keep both her sons safe, Thorin's sister had made Fili promise to keep an eye on his more reckless younger brother. The field of responsibility for the wellbeing of others within the company besides himself stretched even further for Thorin. Any loss of life on this quest would be borne upon the exiled king's shoulders, and his shoulders alone, something Thorin knew very well.

It was at this thought that the dark haired dwarf began pacing once again.

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**So, can I have some reviews please?**


	15. Moving off

**Here you go - updated. Enjoy.**

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**Chapter 15: Moving off**

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"We're never going to get out of here alive," Dori was continuing to moan pitifully, apparently having completely lost it in the face of their latest set back.

"Stop saying that," Gloin growled at the increasingly pessimistic dwarf, "We went around in a circle, that is all, because I was following the wrong direction."

"So you are to blame for this predicament we find ourselves in," Dori half growled in return, "Well if your sense of direction was as any good as that thick head of yours is at wielding an axe we might already be meeting up with the others, but as you had to lead us in the wrong direction-"

"It was a mistake," Gloin cut in before delving into telling Dori exactly why the latter should be keeping his mouth shut will those with brains actually tried to figure out a solution to all this.

Bombur watched the arguing two with a sense of disinterest. He was just glad they were not running anymore for he did not think his body could take the abuse. What was more was that he was hungry, yes, but also worried for his brother and cousin of whom he had not had the time to see flee the initial fight with the orcs as he had acted upon Thorin's order to run. Bofur and Bifur, while not his whole life, were close and the round dwarf would be deeply upset if any sort of terrible fate befell either of them. They would also both prove to be better company than the two he was currently with.

"Do you think we could maybe start out again, in the right direction this time?" Bombur heard himself asking. Gloin turned and wagged a finger at him.

"Oh no, don't you start now," he warned, though Bombur could not figure out for the life of him just what he had done to incur such a warning. The round dwarf opened his mouth to say just that when another new, but almost annoyingly optimistic and familiar voice spoke out from behind where Dori stood.

"Well, I would say you have things under control," Bofur remarked cheerfully as he flashed all the dwarves present a grin, "But it seems that you, well, don't."

"Is anyone else with you?" Gloin asked immediately, stepping back from where he had almost been about to put Dori in a headlock. Bofur's grin widened even further.

"Why both Nori and dear Bifur are with me," the toymaker said with much relish, his eyes alighting on his brother for whom which he began to make way for.

"I don't see them any-" Dori began only to be cut off as both Nori and Bifur appeared into view, slinking out from the trees around them.

"Hello, brother," Nori remarked coolly, standing on the edge of the group where he felt the most comfortable. Dori immediately turned to fuss over his younger sibling.

"Are you hurt anywhere?" he asked frantically, his hands flying just in front of Nori's face and body, "Can you see straight? What's my name?"

"I am fine," Nori half growled, pushing away his brother's worrying hands. Bofur, meanwhile, had been questioning his own brother's health.

"Are you hurt?" the toymaker asked as his eyes scanned over the round form of Bombur. The ginger dwarf shook his head.

"I am unscathed," he answered, "What of you?"

"Might have a few bumps and bruises, but otherwise I seemed to have escaped any permanent damage," Bofur replied in his cheerful way. Bombur sighed in relief.

"That is good news," he said before turning to Bifur, "And what of you? Did you receive any injuries?"

Bifur shook his head and replied with a half muted no before garbling back something about orcs not getting the better of him. Bombur cracked a smile at the taller dwarf's comment and then turned to where Bofur was now discussing things with Gloin.

"Do you know of the fate of the rest of the company?" Gloin was asking, a question to which Bofur reluctantly shook his head.

"I am afraid not," the toymaker answered before allowing a reassured smile to sneak onto his face, "But I am sure they are fine."

"One would hope so," Gloin replied gruffly before moving the topic of the conversation to more important matters, "We need to get to the place where the others will be."

"Aye," Bofur agreed, "We do, and in order to do so we need to head that way." He pointed east, opposite the sun and suddenly Bombur was sure his brother had overheard most, if not all of the argument that had been taken place not a short while ago. Gloin's visage darkened a little.

"You lead the way then," he said, sounding almost embarrassed by the fact that the dwarf in front of him seemed to know just where he was going. Bofur, however, turned to Bifur with a smile.

"After you," he said with a gracious half bow.

Bifur smiled back at the toymaker and began to move off in the same direction Bofur had pointed out, Nori falling into step behind him not a few moments later. The rest of the dwarves followed suit, Bombur finding, as was usually the case, himself bringing up the rear, though Bofur remained by his side, refusing to lose that ridiculous smile of him.

"Let us see if we can find the rest of our scrambled company before nightfall," he said cheerfully to the round dwarf by his side. Bombur could only nod in agreement, hoping that would indeed be the case.

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	16. Wizards and younger brothers

**As some of you wanted: Dwalin, Ori, and Kili. Enjoy. **

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**Chapter 16: Wizards and younger brothers**

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When Dwalin had said that their situation could not get worse, he had not been expecting the latest development. The orcs which had been behind them had been drawn off into another chase, yet it was with the very person who had lead them away that the seasoned warrior had a problem with. As much as Gandalf would vouch otherwise, all Dwalin would ever see the wizard Radagast as was purely and utterly raving mad; he had proven so in their last interaction. One would have to be mad to keep an insect on their tongue and brush it off as though it were the most normal thing in the world. While the brown wizard's arrival had been timely, it had left Dwalin in an all the more blacker mood, but that did not mean that the tattooed dwarf was not grateful for the help.

Having been so focused on not getting hit by another arrow, Dwalin had not seen the wizard and his rabbit drawn sled until both had pulled up just short of the burly warrior and his two companions. Radagast had then proceeded to spill out a stream of words somewhere between gibberish and deranged babbling, punctured by the occasional fragment of common tongue. In the end, Dwalin had just nodded his head in agreement to whatever it was that the wizard had been asking of him, praying to all the higher powers he knew that Radagast was not offering them a ride in his sled, so the seasoned warrior was immensely relived when the wizard left them and doubled back, shouting wildly at the top of his lungs as he drew the orcs' attention, robes flapping madly around a pair of spindly legs.

With the orc business taken care of for the time being, Dwalin had then urged both Kili and Ori onwards, having noted with a small sense of relief that the younger of the two was standing slightly straighter, though still largely hunched over and relying on Ori for balance and support. It was a sign that the brunette's concussion was slowly abating, or at least the symptoms were, though Dwalin knew from some experience it would be a long while before Kili was rid of it entirely meaning he had a pretty much useless dwarf on his hands at the current point in time. Which was a shame as he could have really used youths help, especially for the young archer to provide cover should they run into yet another group of orcs.

"Do you think he will be alright?" asked a timid Ori much to Dwalin's confusion.

"Who?" he growled as he alternated between scanning the trees around him, ensuring the pair in front of him were fine, or as fine as they were before they had started running again, and watching where he was going so as not to stumble and trip.

"Radagast," Ori clarified to the bald warrior who was not paying a scrap of attention to the younger dwarf.

"What about him?"

"Do you think he will be alright?" Ori repeated a little louder than before.

"He's a wizard," Dwalin growled as if that answered everything, "Keep your voice down."

Ori's mouth shut with a snap, though Dwalin did not see it for the seasoned warrior was as distracted as ever in trying to spy any threats to the three who were hurriedly making their way along to where they could only hope the others would be waiting for at that moment in time Dwalin did not want to entertain the idea that they were going the wrong way or that some of the company were in worse shape than them. If his brother were gravely hurt or Thorin on the brink of death he did not want to know about until after he had taken care of both dwarves under his charge, he did not want to know until he had the ability to deal with such a situation properly. For the meantime, however, Dwain was happy enough to go along with the belief that they both were alright, that everyone was alright except for them.

The seasoned warrior snarled in distaste as he felt the drying blood crack on his arm and a thin stream of warm liquid begin to run down his limb again, tickling his skin and staining his clothes. Not only did it itch, the wound itself stung, causing him pain every time he flexed the muscle it had been dealt to. Balin would all but have a fit when he saw the scratch, the elder of the two brothers always trying to mother him when he wasn't looking. He would not be as bad as Kili's own sibling though, for Dwalin was almost certain that Fili would be beside himself at his younger brother's less than adequate condition. Dori too would fuss over Ori, though he would have nothing to fuss about, and it was with a grim smile that Dwalin realised he would not be alone in his older brother's torment.

"Do you think we should bind your wound?"

Dwalin almost started at the unexpected question.

"No," he answered after swiftly recovering himself, "It will be fine."

"But it's bleeding," Ori pressed. Dwalin sent a glare in his direction which lost all meaning for at that moment the ginger haired dwarf had chosen to focus his gaze ahead of him.

"No," Dwalin repeated in a stronger voice.

"But-"

"No!" Dwalin half yelled.

"Keep y'r voice do'n," Kili slurred from Ori's side, his voice containing a hint of cheek as the brunette repeated the older dwarf's earlier words causing Dwalin to shut his mouth as quickly as he had opened it.

The seasoned warrior felt like strangling something and for a moment hoped that an orc would cross their path so he could vent his anger. The feeling passed, however, and Dwalin refocused back on the task at hand; getting himself and the two others with him back to the company without any further harm being inflicted upon anyone.

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**Please to those who have already for this story. :)**


	17. Pacing

**I hope you appreciate the rapid updating. Enjoy (this chapter is a bit short and a bit of a filler).**

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**Chapter 17: Pacing**

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Balin felt about ready to knock his respected leader upside the head.

"Why don't you sit down?" he suggested in a voice barely masking his annoyance. Thorin, however, ignored him and continued to pace, stopping every now and then to glance in the direction of the forest. It was at that moment in which Bilbo chose to appear by Balin's side, quite possibly saving the company leader from a wrath he had not known he had provoked.

"What is it that bothers you, Bilbo?" the old dwarf asked kindly. The hobbit looked down on his hairy feet for a moment before looking up to where Balin's face was smiling reassuringly.

"How do we know if they are alright?" he asked, the question clearly about the rest of the company. Balin sighed.

"We don't," he answered honestly, "But it is best if we do not allow ourselves to worry too much for there is nothing we can do to aid them at this time."

"Fili does not seem to be taking your advice to well," the company burglar remarked, nodding towards where the blonde dwarf seemed to be incapable of keeping still. Fili would first sharpen one of his blades before stowing them away in order to retie his bootlaces. The youth then sat for a bit, twiddling his thumbs before standing with a desperate look towards the forest, and the process began all over again. Bilbo was getting dizzy just watching him.

"Fili is a special case," Balin said, "He worries after his brother, and rightly so. Kili is known to be…reckless at times."

"So his brother worries," Bilbo finished.

"Fili would worry about his brother regardless," Balin replied, "It is in his nature."

"Just as it is in Thorin's?" Bilbo asked.

"You could say it is a family trait," Balin almost chuckled, "Some would say it never appeared until his nephews came into the world."

"So Fili is a bad as his brother?"

"Not as bad," Balin answered, looking at the hobbit with a twinkle in his eyes, "But he has his moments."

Silence fell over the pair for a time as the two watched Fili continue to worry after his brother. Balin thought of his own younger sibling, somewhere in the forest, possibly with orcs on his tail.

"Are you worried?"

The question caught Balin off guard and the white bearded dwarf stared down at the company burglar in surprise.

"Sorry?" he asked. Bilbo looked at him with unblinking eyes and the most sincere of expressions.

"Are you worried?" the hobbit repeated, "About Dwalin I mean. After all, he is your brother?" The last part was asked as a question.

"You are correct," Balin said, "I am worried for my brother. I am older than he is after all and it is only natural."

"Sometimes I am glad I am an only child," Bilbo commented to no one in particular.

"Aye, it would save you a whole lot of trouble and worry, that is for sure," Balin said with a small smile, "But I would not have it any other way."

The old dwarf smiled at the memories shared with his brother which had been good ones. Being the older of the two, he could remember life without his brother, yet Dwalin could not. When they were a whole lot younger, his brother had asked him whether he preferred life without him. Balin had not hesitated when he had replied no, so if his brother had been hurt in any way…

"I am sure he will be fine," Bilbo said reassuringly.

"He will be," Balin agreed, "Though he will have his hands full with both Kili and Ori."

"How so?" Bilbo asked. Balin gave him a small smile.

"Because he has little to no patience," Balin replied. His smile then turned to a frown. "Thorin, will you sit down!"

Once again the company leader ignored him, continuing to pace back and forth as he had been doing since he had met up with the others.

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**Please review. **


	18. Humming

**I think this will be coming to a close soon, so here you go (it's not the best).**

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**Chapter 18: Humming**

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"Stop fussing," cried the exasperated voice of Nori as he tried to evade his brother for what might have been the fiftieth time, Dori having successfully cornered his younger sibling between Bifur and Gloin. The older dwarf wanted to talk, about what Bofur had no idea, but it was with a grin that he watched his fellow companion be subjected to the mercy of an older brother.

"I am more than glad you never act that way with me," Bombur remarked from Bofur's side. The toymaker turned with a grin to face his brother.

"I can always start if you feel left out," he offered much to Bombur's horror. The round dwarf then smiled with a look of knowledge.

"You could never act like that even if you tried," Bombur said, self assured.

"Oh, couldn't I?" Bofur asked with a gleam of mischievous in his eyes, "I do worry constantly over you though I may not show it. Of course, on such a dangerous journey like this, one must be even more aware that one's dearest brother may come face to face with many dangers."

Bombur did not even crack a smile at this, staring at his eccentric brother for one last moment in a horrified disbelief before turning to where Nori looked as though he were about to commit murder.

"Why?" the round dwarf all but seemed capable of asking. Bofur chuckled quietly to himself before turning to look in the same direction as his brother.

"Best we help Nori out before he does something he will later come to regret," the toymaker said lightly. Then he raised his voice. "Let him be, Dori. I am sure if Nori was injured, he would no doubt be letting us know about it."

Dori backed off at Bofur's words, his brother shooting the toymaker a halfway grateful voice. Gloin just snorted at all the commotion.

"Why any of you can't just shut your mouths for just one moment," he muttered in a dark voice. Unfortunately for him, Bofur took up the challenge.

"You seem to be in a foul mood today," the cheery dwarf replied, "I have no idea why."

"You know exactly why," Gloin shot back before grumbling to himself, "I don't see why, of all the members of the company, we had to run into you."

"At least I am better company than Dwalin," Bofur replied, hearing, "All you would get from him would be one or two non-committal grunts, and that's if you are lucky."

"I would rather his company than yours at this point in time," Gloin growled back. The two dwarves were almost about to get into it when Bifur grunted something from up the front. Bombur smiled and Nori smirked as Bofur closed his mouth before opening it again.

"He is right," Bofur said with superiority to Gloin, "You cannot win a bout of words with me. Durin knows how many have tried."

"Argh, let us get on with trying to find wherever it is we are supposed to be going," Gloin said, giving in as well as changing the subject. Bofur flashed him another trademark grin before turning back to Bombur.

"I look forward to being back in the company of those who respect a true bout of banter," Bofur said lightly to his brother. Bombur just looked warily around himself.

"I will just be glad to get out of this forest," the round dwarf admitted. Bofur's face darkened dramatically.

"Aye, that too is something to look forward to."

Silence fell upon the group as the six dwarves trekked ever onwards, following the lead of one half addled dwarf and doing what could be described as their uttermost best to avoid being drawn into an argument. Not talking could do wonders for such an outcome, though it did, of course, make for a rather frosty atmosphere.

"Could you stop that?" Gloin growled as Bofur continued to hum to no particular tune.

"I could," Bofur replied happily, ignoring the implied meaning behind Gloin's words.

"Would you stop?"

"No," Bofur said before continuing with his irritating humming.

"That's it!" Gloin all but bellowed after another short period of trying to keep his temper reined in, "I've had enough!" With that, he leapt at Bofur, only to catch Bombur in a rough tackle as the round dwarf's brother jumped out of the way a moment before Gloin came rushing past him.

The pair of ginger haired dwarves rolled on the ground, managing to knock Dori off his feet in the process. The white haired dwarf managed to half raise himself of the ground after a bout of indignity shouting when Nori stumbled back, knocking the older dwarf back down in the process after Bofur had careered into him trying to avoid the flailing hand of Gloin. With only two dwarves still standing, one being the desired target of Gloin, it did not take long for the struggling mass of hair and limbs to claim another victim, Bifur going down with a loud yelp, leaving Bofur alone the only one standing.

"You should see your faces," he managed to get out between gasping laughs, only to have himself become the latest acquaintance of the ground when Bombur, out of control, knocked the usually cheery dwarf's legs out from under him.

"My, my," a voice said above them all, halting all movement of the dwarves, "What do we have here?"

The six dwarves looked up, Bofur groaning under the weight on top of him. The hem of grey robes met their eyes and it was with a twinkle in his own eyes that Gandalf looked down upon them.

"And what can I do for you, my dear fellows?"

Bofur cocked his head and raised one eyebrow.

"Oh no, it's fine," the toymaker said with no small amount of sarcasm, "Talk away while I am slowly crushed to death by my own brother."

Gandalf just threw his head back and laughed.

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	19. Sunlight

**Maybe one more chapter to go, maybe not. In any case, I am not sure if this one is really good, but I hope you enjoy it regardless.**

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**Chapter 19: Sunlight**

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"If I never see an orc again, it will be too soon," Dwalin muttered to himself as he ran, ushering both Kili and Ori on ahead of him. With the sky getting darker and the band of bloodthirsty orcs behind them, the seasoned warrior could only hope that they reached where the rest of the company would be gathering soon. If he and his two charges were to spend a night alone in the forest it would more than likely not turn out well for them.

"How much further?" gasped Ori from in front of the bald dwarf, his voice perfectly reflecting the terror he felt. Dwalin did not answer until he had successfully swung himself over a fallen log half his height.

"I don't know," he growled as he landed, immediately breaking back into a run, "Keep moving!"

Kili did not bother with such questions, the young archer having recovered his balance enough not to need another's support, but still not being as steady as he should have been. Dwalin himself was somewhat glad the brunette was too focused on not tripping over his own feet to speak. Kili had a mouth on him and more often than not Dwalin found himself running in circles because of it, sometimes almost literally.

He hoped he wasn't running in circles now.

How they had run into yet _another_ group of orcs was beyond the tattooed dwarf, but one thing Dwalin did know was that either him or one of his two companions attracted more than enough trouble to keep anyone on their toes, including a wizard. Kili would be his best guess, for the young dwarf had a streak of recklessness, one which had even the lad's mother worrying and it took a lot to worry Dis. At least the orcs behind them did not have archers like the last group that had been chasing them had.

Dwalin banished all such thoughts from his head as he refocused on placing one foot in front of the other as fast as he could without tripping. He had been whacked in the face by too many branches to count and his eyes were watering from the rush of wind being created as the seasoned warrior bolted through the otherwise still air. The bald dwarf could feel his legs shaking under the strain, yet what choice did he have but to go on? It wasn't as if the orcs pursing the group of three would stop chasing them to allow the dwarves to rest even for a fraction of a second. At least the wound the arrow had left when it had gorged through his flesh had stopped bleeding, though Dwalin could still feel the smallest of trickles of liquid running from it every so often.

Dwalin had a distinct feeling that if the young archer with him was not so incapacitated, he and his two charges would have more of a chance of getting out of the situation they were in alive. As it was, Kili was still in no state to provide the much needed cover and for one of the rare moments in his life Dwalin sorely wished he had learned how to shoot. The only other dwarf with him who would be able to wield a bow would be Ori, but though the timid dwarf's aim with a slingshot was just as good as Kili's aim was with a bow, the former dwarf would hardly be able to tell which end was which of the latter's favoured weapon. That left them all at where they had begun; running from orcs with no way of one somehow providing cover in order to enlarge the gap between the their group and the orcs.

So onwards the three dwarves ran, faces flushed, and gasping for breath as they tried their very best to outpace the hostile beings behind them. Dwalin could see the trees before him thinning out and for one brief moment he allowed himself to hope that he and his two young companions would make it out of the mess they had found themselves in. The sight sent a fresh rush of adrenaline through the seasoned warrior's limbs and it was with an encouraging grunt with which Dwalin urged both Ori and Kili onwards.

Sunlight hit the eyes of the three dwarves, yet for the most part they did not falter. Free of the trees and the cramped atmosphere of the forest, the members of the small group were able to dash forward at an even greater pace, going all out as the orcs behind them began bearing down hard upon their heels.

Neither Dwalin nor Ori or Kili had the time to look around for the others of the company; to stop running would have brought with it disastrous consequences. However, Dwalin did manage to let loose some short and distinct words, alerting any of the company who were in vicinity of both his presence and the orcs. It was not long before an answering shout was carried to the seasoned warrior through the air.

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	20. Whole once again

**Alright this is the last chapter. The end is badly written, I admit, but that is because from there on it coincides with the movie which I did not want to have to rewrite in full (I also had no idea how to write it). So sorry about that. In any case, I hope you enjoy this chapter. Thanks for all the follows and reviews and favourites.**

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**Chapter 20: Whole once again**

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With most of the company now waiting upon their last three companions, things were not as peaceful as they had been when it was only a small group of three, or so Balin reflected. Arguments were often breaking out both of small and large scale, which in itself was enough to drive anyone to the brink of insanity.

After Gandalf had ushered Bifur, Bofur, Bombur, Gloin, Dori and Nori to where Balin and the others with him were waiting, there had been a brief exchange of stories and a rather intimate reunion between both Oin and Gloin. Dori and Nori had been concerned when it became evident that Ori was not with any of the groups, fear for their youngest brother increasing their levels of irritation. Balin himself was more easily provoked, with his own younger brother still somewhere out in the woods. The rest of the dwarves were on edge from a possible attack from the orcs they had escaped and more often than not found themselves rubbing heads because of it.

Surprisingly for Balin, the only two who took no part in the conflict besides Gandalf and the hobbit were Thorin and Fili. While the two dwarves continued to remain agitated at the thought their youngest kin might still be in danger, they did not openly take it out on those around them. Thorin had, much to Balin's relief, foregone his pacing in order to sit and contemplate what would be the company's next move. Fili likewise had stopped his constant fidgeting from before, now merely sitting and staring at the forest as though he were willing his brother to appear from thin air.

The sound of heated words rose up from behind the oldest dwarf of the company and Balin turned from where he had been watching Fili and the edge of the forest in turns. Gloin and Dori were locked in a fierce battle of words as they argued over a topic which all were no doubt thinking about. As the conversation grew more vicious, Balin smiled to himself at the irony of the fact that it was the three dwarves who were still missing that were the cause of the argument. It seemed that Kili did not have to be around to cause trouble.

"I am telling you we should look for them," Dori growled, staring down his fiery haired opponent.

"And I am saying that if we do go out and search for them, then we could miss them is they return," Gloin shot back.

"It is easy enough for you to sit back and relax," Dori sneered, his tone dripping with venom, "For it is not your younger brother who is still out there and in danger."

"That only means you aren't thinking clearly," Gloin countered, not one to give in easily. Dori growled again.

"I can think clearly enough to know that sitting here will achieve nothing," he said with no small amount of frustration.

"I am with my brother on that," Nori put in, for once agreeing with what his elder sibling had to say, "We cannot just do nothing while Ori is still out there."

"And what of Kili and Dwalin?" Bofur asked in a tight voice, standing so that he could be a more active part in the argument, "We also need to find them."

"We will do none of them any good if we become lost in the forest ourselves," Gloin cut in.

"I would rather be lost than sit here and do nothing while my younger brother could be just as lost," Dori snapped at him.

"Even if that is the case, we are better off waiting here for them to turn up," Gloin said.

"Ori could be in trouble at this moment with no one to help him!" Nori exclaimed. Bofur frowned at the brown haired dwarf.

"He has both Dwalin and Kili with him or were you forgetting them two?" the toymaker asked icily.

"Of course not," Nori answered back.

"Well it seems to me like you were," Bofur said with a look of distain.

"ENOUGH!" Thorin bellowed suddenly standing, his blue-grey eyes alert, "Listen."

The company fell into silence as they strained their ears to do as their leader had told them. As the listened, a single shout pierced the air, softened by distance yet still loud enough to be clear.

"Dwalin," Balin gasped softly, looking to Thorin for confirmation. The dark haired dwarf nodded in agreement.

"And he has company," the dwarfish leader finished grimly, before letting loose his own answering shout.

The company, at the direction of their leader, grabbed their belongings and made for the direction that Dwalin was in. Gandalf and Thorin ran out in front, swords drawn and ready for any conflict they might chance upon. Balin found himself directly behind the two, his own weapon out and ready as he matched pace with Thorin's golden haired nephew. The group came to the edge of a rise and looking down saw a sight which both relieved and alarmed them.

Three distinct figures could be seen flying across the landscape as they bolted from the orcs behind them. The smallest two of the three were out in front, the largest keeping himself between them and their bloodthirsty pursuers.

It was with a mighty cry that the remainder of the company came charging down the rise they had been standing on, clashing head to head with the orcs as they ran past. The fight that ensued was short but fierce and with the last three wayward dwarves doubling back to help the orcs were soon left scattered on the ground as crow food.

"You're alive," Balin breathed in relief as he embraced his younger brother. Dwalin quickly returned the embrace before seeking to escape it, uncomfortable with displaying such affections with others of the company watching on.

Balin ignored his brother's discomfort and held him at arms' length, inspecting the seasoned warrior for any wounds he may have been dealt. It did not take long for the old dwarf's eyes to alight upon the cut on his brother's arm.

"You should have bound that before now," Balin chastised as he took a small roll of bandages from Oin and proceeded to wrap the wound.

"Told you," Ori called from where he was being poked and prodded by his own brothers. Dwalin sent the younger dwarf a glare before smiling triumphantly as the scribe disappeared beneath the attentions of both Nori and Dori.

"How did you receive this in any case?" Balin asked as he raised his eyebrows sternly at the dwarf in front of him warning his sibling not to get into an argument with anyone.

"Arrow got me as it went past," Dwalin grunted, wincing as Balin's deft fingers finished tying the bandages in place, "But it is not me you should be worrying about. Kili is the one with a concussion."

Balin turned to face the young brunette, Dwalin's attempt to draw his brother's attention away from himself working. Both Fili and Thorin had frozen momentarily at the news and were now proceeding to corner Kili with Oin despite the young archer's claims that he was fine. The three were almost upon the young dwarf who was looking considerably unsteady on his feet when Gandalf cut in, saving Kili at the last moment.

"We should not remain out in the open," the grey wizard said, gesturing to where more orcs had reached the edge of the forest even as he spoke where they were now giving chase to what appeared to be a man on a rabbit drawn sled.

"Where do we go then?" Thorin asked as he looked around the company's surroundings, "There is no cover here."

"Follow me," Gandalf said simply before leading them all in a game of cat and mouse as they tried their best to avoid being seen by the orcs and their mounts.

The company managed to escape notice as they ran for the most part, but it was on the final stretch that their scent was caught by the enemy. All caution was blown away with the wind as thirteen dwarves, a wizard and a hobbit made for a hole in the ground. Without hesitation Gandalf dived it, Thorin standing guard as the others of the company followed in quick succession. Soon all members of the company were safe and hidden away in the rocky cave.

"There's a tunnel that leads on," Dwalin called from the back, "What should we do?"

"Follow it of course," Bofur cried aloud. Gandalf sent a smile in the direction of Thorin who was glaring up at him, having guessed long before what the wizard was up to.

"Well," the grey wizard said, "What are you waiting for?"

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**END **

***Unless you want to watch the Hobbit from where this leaves off***

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**Again, I know the ending was rough, but as I said before it is basically where the company are running across the plain and then go into Rivendale.**

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